RACIAL IDENTITY AND RACISM: COMPLEXITIES REPORTED BY WOMEN WITH A PRIOR PRETERM BIRTH

RACIAL IDENTITY AND RACISM: COMPLEXITIES REPORTED BY WOMEN WITH A PRIOR PRETERM BIRTH

Abstract:

RACIAL IDENTITY AND RACISM: COMPLEXITIES REPORTED BY WOMEN WITH A PRIOR PRETERM BIRTH

Conference Sponsor:

Western Institute of Nursing

Conference Year:

2010

Author:

Boutain, D. M., PhD, RN

P.I. Institution Name:

University of Washington

Title:

Associate Professor

Contact Address:

Box 357263, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

Email:

dboutain@u.washington.edu

Co-Authors:

J. Thomas; Katie Paul; Jane Hitti; Shuyuann Foreman

RACIAL IDENTITY AND RACISM: REPORTED COMPLEXITIES FROM WOMEN WITH A PRIOR PRETERM BIRTH BACKGROUND: Preterm birth disproportionately affects women based on their racial identity, with African-American women more likely than White-American women to have a preterm birth. For this reason, racial identity based risk profiling is a common public health practice. Racial identity has been used to communicate risk to women, and as a proxy indicator for possible racism stressors and life event stressors. However, most researchers do not jointly use structured open-ended and close-ended surveys in one study to gain explanatory insights from women themselves. PURPOSE: The purpose of this mixed method study was to describe the relationship between racial identity and racism among women with a prior preterm birth. Sample: Participants were part of a larger study of parous women (N=400). Data about African-American (n=17), Multiracial (n=2) and White-American women (n=74) who had a prior preterm birth were used for this study. METHODS: Home-based interviews occurred using a standardized interview protocol. The open-end surveys were used first to inquire about womenÆs experiences of pregnancy stressors, their preferred racial identity, and if their racial identity affected their last pregnancy. Structured surveys were used second and included questions from the Perceived Stress Scale, the Experiences of Discrimination Survey, and the Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System survey. RESULTS: Using the open-ended survey data, most women (n=77, 79%) did not think their racial identity affected their last pregnancy (n=15 yes racial affected pregnancy, n=2 missing data). The majority of women who thought that racial identity affected their pregnancy were White-American women (n=12, 80%). White-American women (n=12) viewed racial identity as a 1) social benefit, 2) health benefit, and 3) protective factor against preterm birth. The one African-American woman who said that her racial identity affected her pregnancy also reported racism. Using the close-ended survey data, African-American women were significantly more (p < 0.001) likely than White-American women to report racial discrimination in three areas: 1) getting a job (41% versus 0%), 2) at work (53% versus 7%), and 3) in the police/courts (41% versus 0%). African-American women were also significantly more likely (p < 0.001) to report experiencing any racism (n=13, 77%) compared to White-American women (n=8, 11%). There was only one White-American woman who said her racial identity affected her pregnancy and also reported experiencing racism.IMPLICATIONS: More research is needed to investigate how risk communication based on racial identity occurs in clinical practice. There is a disconnect between how racial identity is used as public health risk factor in research and clinical practice, and the study data that women did not think racial identity affected their pregnancy. Given that African-American women were more likely to report racism than associate their racial identity with their prior preterm birth, more research is needed to explore racism as a preterm birth risk factor. Research is also needed to explore if White-American women experience more distress after a preterm birth due to prior assumptions about how racial identity is protective.

Full metadata record

RACIAL IDENTITY AND RACISM: COMPLEXITIES REPORTED BY WOMEN WITH A PRIOR PRETERM BIRTH

en_GB

dc.identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10755/157456

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dc.description.abstract

<table><tr><td colspan="2" class="item-title">RACIAL IDENTITY AND RACISM: COMPLEXITIES REPORTED BY WOMEN WITH A PRIOR PRETERM BIRTH</td></tr><tr class="item-sponsor"><td class="label">Conference Sponsor:</td><td class="value">Western Institute of Nursing</td></tr><tr class="item-year"><td class="label">Conference Year:</td><td class="value">2010</td></tr><tr class="item-author"><td class="label">Author:</td><td class="value">Boutain, D. M., PhD, RN</td></tr><tr class="item-institute"><td class="label">P.I. Institution Name:</td><td class="value">University of Washington</td></tr><tr class="item-author-title"><td class="label">Title:</td><td class="value">Associate Professor</td></tr><tr class="item-address"><td class="label">Contact Address:</td><td class="value">Box 357263, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA</td></tr><tr class="item-email"><td class="label">Email:</td><td class="value">dboutain@u.washington.edu</td></tr><tr class="item-co-authors"><td class="label">Co-Authors:</td><td class="value">J. Thomas; Katie Paul; Jane Hitti; Shuyuann Foreman</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="item-abstract">RACIAL IDENTITY AND RACISM: REPORTED COMPLEXITIES <br/>FROM WOMEN WITH A PRIOR PRETERM BIRTH <br/>BACKGROUND: Preterm birth disproportionately affects women based on their racial identity, with African-American women more likely than White-American women to have a preterm birth. For this reason, racial identity based risk profiling is a common public health practice. Racial identity has been used to communicate risk to women, and as a proxy indicator for possible racism stressors and life event stressors. However, most researchers do not jointly use structured open-ended and close-ended surveys in one study to gain explanatory insights from women themselves. <br/>PURPOSE: The purpose of this mixed method study was to describe the relationship between racial identity and racism among women with a prior preterm birth. <br/>Sample: Participants were part of a larger study of parous women (N=400). Data about African-American (n=17), Multiracial (n=2) and White-American women (n=74) who had a prior preterm birth were used for this study. <br/>METHODS: Home-based interviews occurred using a standardized interview protocol. The open-end surveys were used first to inquire about women&AElig;s experiences of pregnancy stressors, their preferred racial identity, and if their racial identity affected their last pregnancy. Structured surveys were used second and included questions from the Perceived Stress Scale, the Experiences of Discrimination Survey, and the Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System survey. <br/>RESULTS: Using the open-ended survey data, most women (n=77, 79%) did not think their racial identity affected their last pregnancy (n=15 yes racial affected pregnancy, n=2 missing data). The majority of women who thought that racial identity affected their pregnancy were White-American women (n=12, 80%). White-American women (n=12) viewed racial identity as a 1) social benefit, 2) health benefit, and 3) protective factor against preterm birth. The one African-American woman who said that her racial identity affected her pregnancy also reported racism. Using the close-ended survey data, African-American women were significantly more (p &lt; 0.001) likely than White-American women to report racial discrimination in three areas: 1) getting a job (41% versus 0%), 2) at work (53% versus 7%), and 3) in the police/courts (41% versus 0%). African-American women were also significantly more likely (p &lt; 0.001) to report experiencing any racism (n=13, 77%) compared to White-American women (n=8, 11%). There was only one White-American woman who said her racial identity affected her pregnancy and also reported experiencing racism.<br/>IMPLICATIONS: More research is needed to investigate how risk communication based on racial identity occurs in clinical practice. There is a disconnect between how racial identity is used as public health risk factor in research and clinical practice, and the study data that women did not think racial identity affected their pregnancy. Given that African-American women were more likely to report racism than associate their racial identity with their prior preterm birth, more research is needed to explore racism as a preterm birth risk factor. Research is also needed to explore if White-American women experience more distress after a preterm birth due to prior assumptions about how racial identity is protective. <br/></td></tr></table>

en_GB

dc.date.available

2011-10-26T19:53:21Z

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dc.date.issued

2011-10-17

en_GB

dc.date.accessioned

2011-10-26T19:53:21Z

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dc.description.sponsorship

Western Institute of Nursing

en_GB

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